Chris Rainey's arrest latest in series of legal problems for Florida Gators players

September 17, 2010|By Rachel George, Orlando Sentinel

An earlier version of this article misstated the total number of players arrested during Urban Meyer's tenure.

GAINESVILLE — Florida wide receiver Chris Rainey is not the first Gator to be arrested, and if trends are to be believed, he will not be the last.

The reshirt junior's arrest on Tuesday on a charge of aggravated stalking, a felony, makes him at least the 25th football player to be arrested or face charges during coach Urban Meyer's tenure. Meyer is two games into his sixth season.

Many of the charges have ultimately been dismissed, thanks in part to Gainesville lawyer Huntley Johnson, who handled cases for all but three of the players. But the number alone raises questions. Is it high? What procedures are in place to deal with student-athletes who are arrested? How are decisions made in regard to the team once that has happened?

"To me, it's a lot," said Jeff Benedict, a professor at Southern Virginia University who has written several books on athletes and crime. "I think, you know when you have that many players in that short of a time period who are in the news for criminal matters instead of football matters, that's nothing but bad news for the university."

Offenses, repercussions vary

The charges have varied among the 25 players, from seemingly minor offenses such as possession of alcohol by a person under 21 to more serious ones such as use of a concealed weapon. Team repercussions have varied as well, with some players never missing game time to others being kicked off the team.

Steve McClain, sports information director for Florida, said the University Athletic Association's policy calls for these to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. It is up to the coaches to start the process of determining what happened and then apply any punishment they deem necessary.

"I would say that there's an internal process, and that starts with the team. And there's obviously this thurst for the public and media to know what's going on, and that doesn't necessarily go hand in hand," he said. "It's something for the most part that is tried to be handled privately."

The UAA's student-athlete handbook lists adherence to local, state and federal laws as its first rule in the code of conduct.

Around the university, where students don't receive the same media attention as athletes in general and football players in particular, it's more difficult to determine any repercussions for a crime.

Janine Sikes, UF's department of public affairs spokeswoman, said the university has no policy for students who are arrested. If university officials learn of a conviction, which they might not if it occurred out-of-state, they proceed in the same manner as the UAA.

"It has to be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Generally the university doesn't know if students have felony convictions," Sikes said. "If we are made aware of it, these convictions are looked at on a case-by-case basis and what they look for is they evaluate the type of the felony, the time frame of the conviction."

Is 25 a high number?

How often Meyer's staff has had to make these types of decisions following a player's legal trouble has garnered the most attention.

Benedict released the results of a case study last week looking at the number of professional and college football and basketball players facing serious crimes between January and August this year. Benedict classified serious crimes as misdemeanors or felonies involving violence, weapons or substance abuse, and found 125 athletes who had been charged. That averages one about every other day.

To him, 25 is a high number.

But Johnson, the lawyer players frequently obtain, and another expert disagree.

"I would not say it's alarming because I think there are other SEC programs that have greater issues than the University of Florida," said Emmett Gill, an associate professor at North Carolina Central University. Gill works in student-athlete development and researches controversies in college sports.

"I wouldn't say that 30 is an alarming number, but it's a concerning number," he added.

Johnson, who said he's dealt with cases for 40 to 50 UF athletes in the past five years, said the number is not alarming to him. Many charges are ultimately dismissed.

"It sounds high but the reality of what they've been charged with, I don't think there's been that many serious incidents," he said.

Contrary to perception that athletes get favored, the cases Johnson has worked have shown him that athletes draw more attention from law enforcement, he said, noting it's easier to stand out in a crowd if you're a 6-foot-5 lineman.

While Johnson is aware of the perception that comes with handling the vast majority of these cases, he said he has not asked coaches to refer their players in trouble. Instead, the players refer each other, he said.

Johnson is representing Rainey, who Meyer said is not with the team.

Johnson has been defending UF athletes since the mid-1980s and said he media attention surrounding cases like Rainey's contribute to the perception that the situation is worsening.

"It might be a little worse," he said. "But I think the problem's always been there."